According to a scientific study published by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, one gram (0.03oz) of human faeces – about the weight of a paper clip – can contain one trillion germs.

Bacteria that can be spread by unwashed hands include salmonella and E coli.

Fox News host Pete Hegseth has confessed on air that he has not washed his hands for 10 years because “germs are not a real thing”. Speaking on Fox and Friends, Mr Hegseth said the infectious micro-organisms did not exist because they could not be seen with the naked eye.